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The Fox (Monsanto) Buys the Chicken Coop (Beeologics)

Re: The Fox (Monsanto) Buys the Chicken Coop (Beeologics)

LOL, I like how Monsanto qualifies as an Agro Chemical company with 1 herbicide on the market. What a lame and totally unbiased article written by someone with no knowledge of the article they just wrote. Round-up ready corn produces a powerful insecticide???? Really???? And where has that guy been as this is so old news....

Re: The Fox (Monsanto) Buys the Chicken Coop (Beeologics)

The article was posted 5/3/2012, so maybe this posting is old, but the article isnt. and the author is well versed in GMO's and yes roundup ready corn DOES contain Bt which is a powerful insecticide, it may be bacterial, but it still kills insects. And I, as a beekeeper, is terrified of the fact that Monsanto is now trying to worm its way into bees...you don't think Monsanto is in cahoots with bayer? Come on get real people! Thank you for posting!

Re: The Fox (Monsanto) Buys the Chicken Coop (Beeologics)

and the author is well versed in GMO's and yes roundup ready corn DOES contain Bt which is a powerful insecticide, it may be bacterial, but it still kills insects.

While some roundup-ready corn varieties may also contain the Bt gene they don't necessarily have it. The two genes are not linked.

Crops having the Bt gene actually helps protect pollinators since the protein acts in the digestive tracts of worms that eat the plant foliage. You do realize that some beekeepers use a strain of Bt to protect combs from wax moth, right?

Re: The Fox (Monsanto) Buys the Chicken Coop (Beeologics)

Originally Posted by TWall

While some roundup-ready corn varieties may also contain the Bt gene they don't necessarily have it. The two genes are not linked.

Crops having the Bt gene actually helps protect pollinators since the protein acts in the digestive tracts of worms that eat the plant foliage. You do realize that some beekeepers use a strain of Bt to protect combs from wax moth, right?

Tom

You are correct, bees do not consume Bt treated wax and thus do not suffer the gut paralysis effects of the Bt toxin. And yes, bees do not consume the foliage of GMO corn containing the Bt toxin in every cell either.

Yet I have to wonder about the Bt toxin content in the pollen produced by the GMO corn. That seems to be the unanswered question (and perhaps Monsanto doesn't want it answered?).

Bt toxin laced pollen could produce some of the gut paralysis effects in bees and brood. I haven't heard of any studies that tested the effects of GMO/Bt-laced pollen on honeybees. I could have missed them tho.

Re: The Fox (Monsanto) Buys the Chicken Coop (Beeologics)

The strain of Bt toxin used is derived from lepidoptera specific Bacillus. As mentioned above, never heard of any ill effects of people treating their comb/hive with Bt to combat wax moth. Whenever anyone asks about it on the forums, it's always recommended as a method to try if that's what the poster wants to do. I only say the author comes off unknowledgable because he did not mention anything that I couldn't have read myself in 5 minutes of google searching and his wording is very biased. Bt is a powerful pesticide....not really. It's effective in controlling what it does but I would hardly classify it as a powerful/toxic pesticide.